General livestock wrap
20/03/2009
Big yarding at Narromine store sale
All of the pens were full at this week’s Narromine store sale with the largest yarding (31,064 head) seen since September 2004 sale (which had a yarding of 59,840 – the largest on record).
It was a good quality penning of sheep with some reasonable lines of crossbreds. There were some outstanding runs of both young and old Merino ewes. Almost 6,000 wethers were yarded, the largest for some time. In contrast, the size of the crowd was only fair.
The crossbred ewe market struggled with very limited competition. The best were a line of joinable one-and-a-half year olds, August shorn, which sold for $118/head. The balance of the one-and-a-half year olds sold from $70 to $96/head. A line of April and May 2008 drops sold to $113/head. The balance of the 2008 cross bred ewes sold from $66 to $95/head. A line of two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half year olds scanned in lamb to White Suffolk’s sold for $108/head. Store lambs sold to very strong competition, topping at $74.75 and averaging $66/head.
Merino ewes recorded mixed results, as the top quality younger ewes appeared affordable while older ewes scanned in lamb, offering a faster return, sold reasonably well. An outstanding line of June shorn one-and-a-half year olds sold for $87/head. Other top quality one-and-a-half year olds sold from $62 to $78/head. Plain quality one-and-a-half year olds lacking in size sold from $29 to $56/head. The 2008 drop ewes ranged in price from $27 to $50/head. An outstanding line of three and four year old Samm cross ewes, 100% scanned in lamb from White Suffolk’s sold for $107/head. Their five-and-a-half year old sisters achieved $92/head. Mixed age Dohne cross ewes 100% scanned in lamb to Dohne rams sold for $80/head. Other top quality older ewes scanned in lamb sold from $50 to $79/head. Unjoined older ewes sold from $28 to $57/head.
The 2008 drop wethers ranged in price from $25 to $57/head with most of the young lines going to processors. A line of three year olds in store condition sold to lotfeeders for $35.75/head.
Goat prices fall
Goat rates declined substantially this week, pressured by increased supplies.
Export demand remains very limited, as most buyers struggle to secure sufficient credit, despite the favourable A$.
Quality offered has been reasonable, with supplies boosted by an increased number of lightweight goats.
Reportedly, contributors are experiencing difficulty moving the lighter and poorer quality goats. Capretto rates remained steady.
Southern hide supply tighter
There was further upward movement in southern green hide prices this week, with solid demand for the tighter offering of hides, especially from tanners. Global demand remains soft, with US prices retreating to cheaper levels last week.
Lambskins steady
Skin trading remains difficult, with only selective interest from Chinese buyers for longer lambskins, while virtually no product has been moving to Russia. Skins under ½ inch are very hard to move and are being heavily discounted.